Facts & Figures

Ogston Reservoir is situated in the Derbyshire countryside between the low-lying hills of the Amber Valley near the villages of Brackenfield, Ashover and Clay Cross.

Why was Ogston Reservoir built here?

The availability of river catchment, the valley and suitable underlying geology made the location suitable for an impounding reservoir.

What was here before?

The flooding of the valley in 1958 completely submerged both farmland and roads along with part of the Ashover Light Railway.  The village of Woolley was mostly submerged and the villagers were relocated into council houses built in another local hamlet, Badger Lane which eventually became know as the village of ‘Woolley on the Moor’, and today is the village of ‘Woolley Moor’.

How long did it take to build?

The reservoir and associated works were completed around 1960; the valley was flooded in 1958.

What is Ogston Reservoir Water’s role in the supply network?

Ogston Reservoir was originally created to supply the National Coal Boards Carbonisation Plant at Wingerworth.  It now provides water for Ogston Water Treatment Works and is used as a holding ground for water for the nearby Carsington Reservoir.  It is therefore described as being both a direct impounding reservoir and pumped storage reservoir.

Water from the reservoir is treated at the nearby Ogston Water Treatment Works from where water is pumped to Higham Service Reservoir which supplies areas in North East Derbyshire, Chesterfield and Sheffield.

Also, compensation water is released into the River Amber to regulate flow.

Where does the water come from?

Ogston Reservoir has a direct catchment of 26.7 km2 comprising the headwaters of the River Amber and Carr Brook.  In addition, Ogston can receive either water pumped from the River Derwent via Ambergate Pumping Station or via a gravity piped supply from Carsington Reservoir. The latter two options cannot be utilised together.

Water from the reservoir is treated at the nearby Ogston Water Treatment Works which sits on the toe of the embankment.

And how big?

Ogston Reservoir has 220 acres of open water (770,000 square metres) and holds 6,180,000 cubic meters of water.

The Dam is an Earth embankment with a clay core and is 19.81 metres high.  The Dam is 213 metres long.